NEW CANAAN, CT, June 23, 2026 – Gridiron Capital, LLC (“Gridiron Capital”), an investment firm focused on partnering with founders, entrepreneurs, and management teams, is pleased to announce that Gridiron Capital has been selected as one of the 2026 Top 50 Private Equity Firms for Executives. The annual listing by PrivateEquityCXO, a community of private equity-backed executives, and Falcon Partners, Private Equity’s C-Suite Recruiter™, recognizes firms whose governance approach, partnership style, and engagement with leadership best enable portfolio company executives to drive value creation.
The 2026 report is based on data collected from thousands of private equity-backed executives, examining executive experience, sponsor effectiveness, and the governance dynamics shaping outcomes in today’s environment. Central to the report are PrivateEquityCXO’s Nine Dimensions of Governance Fit®, a framework for evaluating and strengthening sponsor-executive partnerships.
“We are honored to once again be named a Top 50 Private Equity Firm for Executives by PrivateEquityCXO and Falcon Partners,” said Tom Burger, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Gridiron Capital. “We built Gridiron around the belief that alignment with management teams is the foundation of value creation. Our executives are true partners, and this recognition belongs to them as much as it does to us.”
To view the full report, nominees, selection process, and criteria, please visit PrivateEquityCXO’s website.
About Gridiron Capital
Gridiron Capital is an investment firm focused on partnering with founders, entrepreneurs, and management teams, and creating value by building middle-market companies into industry-leaders in the business services, consumer products & services, and industrial growth segments in the United States and Canada. We help transform growing companies by winning together through hard work, partnerships grounded in shared values and a unique culture that comes from hands-on experience building and running businesses. As a team led by former operators and entrepreneurs, we know what it takes to run successful businesses on a day-to-day basis. Additional information is available on the firm’s website.
About PrivateEquityCXO
With 56k members, PrivateEquityCXO.com is the world’s largest community of current and aspiring private equity-backed executives. Through proprietary research, content, tools, and career resources, PE-CXO.com helps executives navigate PE-backed leadership roles and equips sponsors with insights to strengthen portfolio company leadership. For more information, email contact@pe-cxo.com.
About Falcon Partners
Falcon Partners is Private Equity’s C-Suite Recruiter™, exclusively focused on serving PE firms and their portfolio companies. Falcon conducts searches for transformational portfolio company C-suite leaders who can drive MOIC and IRR. The firm’s mission is to ensure its clients and candidates have a competitive talent advantage in the pursuit of value creation. For more information, visit Falcon-pe.com or email contact@falcon-pe.com.
Disclaimer
The Top 50 Private Equity Firms for Executives Report, issued by PrivateEquityCXO on 6/23/2026. Gridiron did not submit for this award or pay a fee to promote this award. There can be no assurance that other providers or surveys would reach the same conclusion as the foregoing. The Top 50 Private Equity Firms for Executives 2026 Report should not be considered an endorsement of Gridiron Capital or its funds by the authors or distributors of the ranking.